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Residents sets out case in Poundbury appeal

Opponents to the Prince of Wales' planned extension to his Poundbury village yesterday set out their case at a planning appeal in Dorchester.

The proposed scheme, by local practice Lionel Gregory - which would see the construction of two five-storey blocks - has been thrown out by the local planning authority twice in the past two years.

Yesterday local opponents to the development had an opportunity to publicly decry the proposals at inquiry.

Objectors said: 'The social costs among people who would be expected to live in cramped conditions would be shown by the lack of gardens, including the lack of a communal garden for the children of people who may live in the two-bedroom flats.'

It was also claimed that other costs would be: no laundry facilities and not enough space for rubbish bins, which is why the plans were 'short sighted' and 'poorly designed', according to the objectors.

High roofs and elevations; the lack of daylight penetration; the enclosure of the site; the increasing enclosure of the highway; the lack of relevance to the existing properties nearby and the lack of green spaces and public services were all cited as reasons why locals were not happy with the plans.

The objectors also said they had initiated four meetings and had been in correspondence with the Duchy, but no compromise could be reached.

'The objectors cannot reconcile their experiences with the Prince of Wales' list of 10 principles which he wrote for Poundbury and other new model developments,' residents said.

Architect David Oliver told the inquiry yesterday that the estate's preliminary masterplan, developed by Leon Krier, had been presented to locals during a public consultation period.

He also said the Poundbury Design Guide had been issued to all residents on the estate.

'The aim of the guide is to inform the residents of the design and construction issues used to produce the built environment and to encourage owners to maintain the buildings as constructed,' Mr Oliver added.

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